Shirring attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

T. J. GIDDINGS.

SHIRRING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 269,781; Patented 1390.26; 1882. v

N, FETERS. mvwmhq n ho. Wash UNTTED STATES PATENT warren,

THOMAS J. GIDDINGS, OF FRANKLIN GROVE, ILLINOIS.

SHlRRING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING=MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,781, dated December 26, 1882. Application filed August 15, 1882. No modeli) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. GIDDINGS,

a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Franklin Grove, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Shining-Machines, of which the following is a specification, to wit:

M y invention relates to improvements to gathering attachments for sewing-machines; and it consists in the peculiar construction of a gathering device to adapt it to the work usually termed shirring, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, 1 will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my invention, and Fig. 2 a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a piece of metal stamped or cast in substantially the form shown,and proa vertical arm, A The arm A has secured to it a rearwardly-projecting piece of spring metal, B, on the outer end of which is a small metal pressure plate, B, perforated for the passage of the sewing-machine needle.

livoted to the face of the vertical arm A is an angular arm, 0, which extends downward between the plate A and spring-arm B, and is then bent at right angles, forming a horizontal arm, 0, which extends under the spring B and carries the feeding-spring C The rear end of this feeding-spring 0 lies immediately under the pressure-plate B, and is serrated on its edge, as seen at c, to catch and feed the material. It is also provided with an openended longitudinal slot, in which the needle works.

The upper end of the swinging feeding-arm C is formed with an upward and rearwardly extended arm, 0 carrying a stop, 0, to limit the movement ofthe operating-lever. The arm 0 is also provided with a forwardly-extending projection, 0 carrying a vertical adjusting-screw, 0 for regulating the length 0t the feeding stroke.

vided with a forwardlyextending arm, A, and

- back the feeding-dog 0 D is the operating-lever, swinging upon the same pivot as the lever O, and having its rear end forked, as seen at d, for the purpose of connecting with the needle-bar of the sewingmachine. The forward end of the lever D is bent at right angles beneath the regulatingscrew, as seen at d.

To the inner side of the plate A is secured a long arm, E, extending back to the base of the supporting-arm of the sewing-machine, and raised from the cloth-plate by a downward bend or offset, E, provided with a hole for the passage of an ordinary thumb-screw to secure the device to the cloth-plate of the machine. Secured to this offset, beneath the arm E, is a 6 long spring, F, extending forward beneath the gathering or shirring attachment, and carrying on its outer end, at right angles, a thin plate, f, extending backward under the feeding-dog O and provided with an open slot, similar to said feeding-dog. I

The operation of the device is as follows: The arm E is secured to the cloth-plate of a sewing-machine by a setscrew, with the operating-lever clasping the screw on the needle- 7 bar, and the needle hole in the pressure-plate registering with the machine needle. The cloth to be operated upon is now inserted between the platefand theiceding-dog G with the bunched edge of the goods between the So spring F and arm E, where there is room for it to pass by the raising of said arm from the cloth-plate by the offset E. The presser-foot of the machineis now let down on the plate'B and the machine started. The outer end of the lever D is depressed by the downstroke of the needle-bar, and its other end, by pressure against the screw 0 turns the arm 0 and draws When the needlebar makes its upstroke the operation is reversed, and the serrated endof the spring feeding-dog engages with the cloth and feeds it forward under the pressure-plate B, ready for another stitch. If the goods to be gathered or shirred are to be sewed upon other goods, the 5 second cloth is placed on the cloth-plate under the spring-arm Ff, and as thedog (Pfeeds the upper piece forward faster than the feed-dog of the machine does the lower piece the upper one is shirred at the same time the two are too the adj ustin g-screw 0 as seen in the drawings.

' having pressure-plate B, the levers O D, feeding springq'ilate C and suitable adjusting and operating mechanism, substantially as described. v 5

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignaturein I presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS J. GIDDING S.

stitched together. The length of feed or distanee the dog 0 is drawn back is regulated by Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a shirring attachment for sewinghnachines, the combination of the plate A, having arms A A the arm E, having oilset E, the spring F, attached thereto and provided with l a thin plate,f, the stationary spring-plate B,

Witnesses:

THOMAS W. BROWN, BENJAMIN H. BATES. 

